Obituary of Mr. Albert Bussell
1914 - 2009
Master of Earle Page College: 1963 - 1975
I had thought to write this obituary from the perspective of Dad’s association with Earle Page College. While his tenure as master of the college was definitely the high point in his career, there were so many other aspects to his life before and after college. I have thus included most of the Eulogy given by my brother and myself so that you have a complete picture of his “innings” of 94.
Albert was born in 1914 in the Kogarah area of Sydney. He enjoyed a happy, lively family life where backyard cricket was the order of many afternoons. As well as developing his cricket skills, this required the development of his skills as a glazier, repeatedly repairing “that broken window” before his own Dad came home. Indeed, it was such a regular event that the local glass cutter started cutting the glass as the boys hastened up the street. His own father was a loving, gentle man with endless patience and affection for young children. His mother was energetic and talented with her music and art.
Albert did exceptionally well at school but progression to university in the economic climate of the early 1930s was difficult. He worked in the commercial area for some years before going to Sydney University and St Andrew’s College in 1943 to study Theology. Before entry, he had to go back and repeat his Leaving Certificate to include Greek which at that time was a pre-requisite for his course. At university, Albert chose Philosophy as an elective subject. He thoroughly enjoyed this area of study and it had a significant influence on his thinking and future career direction. He was awarded the Lithgow Scholarship and graduated with first class honours in Philosophy.
A love of boats, water and fishing was gained from his father. He has always had a watercraft of some type. The first was a red cedar canoe named “Warrego 2”, which was built for him around the late 1930’s. He was a member of the river canoe club in Sydney and participated in many long down river trips. One that he often talked about was a trip down the Macleay River, east of Armidale. The canoes were transported from Sydney to Armidale by train and taken to the base of the river by mail truck. The river trek to Kempsey took a number of days and they returned to Sydney by train. He also spoke fondly of a similar journey on the Shoalhaven river.
All his life, Albert was keen on building and repairing wireless and electronic appliances You could often find Albert by looking where the multimeter and screw drivers were lying! . One of his earliest projects was to build a portable battery powered radio for his canoe trips. It was certainly a first. He wrote an article about the project which was published in a magazine. His knowledge and love of electronics must have passed onto his eldest grandson Paul, who has an electrical contract business.
Albert’s canoeing and bushwalking interests led to a meeting with Beth Spears. They were married in 1947 and lived in Canberra for the first few years of their long married life. Albert worked as a minister of the Congregational Church in Civic. He also worked closely with the YMCA and taught chemistry at Canberra Boys Grammar School. Peter was born in Canberra in 1949. Soon after, Albert successfully applied for a position as Lecturer in Philosophy at the New England University College at Armidale and hence began his family’s long association with Armidale. Cathie and Clare were born in Armidale and both graduated from the university.
Albert always took an active interest in student life beyond the lecture theatre. For many years, he was a much loved patron of the Overseas Student Association. They put on wonderful concerts in the Armidale Town Hall. Albert also took on the role of Orientation Officer for the university which took him on promotional trips to many schools in the beautiful New England area. He had a great understanding of the student age group and it was no surprise when he was appointed first master of Earle Page College in 1962, a position he held until his retirement in 1975. The college building did not exist in 1963 and students were housed in a number of large old drafty houses distributed around the town of Armidale. A major part of the first few years of his position, was to plan and establish the college buildings on campus. The current college building is testament to that time.
A college of 300 plus meant that at times there were misdeameners requiring his attention. Albert would call students in to what became known as “Albies Garden parties” where the offence was discussed and punishment handed out , usually in the form a of a “compulsory” donation to the college library fund. A few years ago, I met an ex student of Earle Page who clearly remembered these times with great affection and respect for Albert – despite having funded many books in the library! Albert showed a wonderful understanding of students. In the days following his death, I received emails and messages from many students all over the world, each recounting their own particular situation where Albert made a positive impact on their life while they were at Earle Page. He was also respected within the wider university population and served on university council for a number of years.
Albert was a wonderful father and we enjoyed many happy family times, particularly holidays at Yamba where we swam and fished in a carefree environment. His counsel was gentle and wise and he always encouraged and supported us in our various endeavours. Our chosen partners were equally loved and very much part of our family.
In 1975, Albert and Beth retired to Yamba and enjoyed many happy years there. Albert continued to play an occasional game of tennis. He played golf twice a week until he was 88 and loved the course, the club and the company. Walking to the golf club late in the afternoon to see the kangaroos grazing on the fairways was an activity for every visiting grandchild. With children and grandchildren living in various parts of Australia and the world, Albert and Beth enjoyed many car trips within Australia and more extensive journeys to Europe. Activities in Europe ranged from exploring Greek ruins to assisting with the house restoration works undertaken by Cathie and John in London.
Sadly, Beth started suffering from dementia in her early eighties. Albert’s’s gentle patience with her was magnificent and he cared after her at home until he was nearly 90. It was hard for him to let go, but by 2003 it became too much and they moved from their much loved house on the hill in Yamba to an aged care facility at Ulmarra near Grafton.
His dedication to Beth continued with frequent visits. She passed away in March 2008 and I’m not sure that he ever really recovered. His previous good health started to decline. We brought him to live in an aged care facility in Canberra where he received wonderful care. I was able to attend to his needs on a more regular basis. Peter came from Narrabri quite frequently so we hope his last few months were peaceful and satisfying. One highlight was listening to my daughter Hannah play her violin. He beamed with pride, perhaps recalling his own rather short period of playing the violin in his youth. I am sure that all the grandchildren remember such special times with their “Pa” and the interest and pride that he took in their lives.
The motto of Earle Page college is “Each Prove Himself”. Albert did this quietly many times over during his 94 years and along the way, inspired so many of us.
The following poem, That Man is a Success was read at Albert’s funeral. The words are often attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson.
That man is a success
Who has lived well,
Laughed often and loved much;
Who has gained the respect of intelligent men and women
And the love of children;
Who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;
Who leaves the world better than he found it,
Who has never lacked appreciation of Earth’s beauty
Nor failed to express it;
Who looked for the best in others,
And gave the best he had.
Clare Lord – younger daughter of Albert